If you'd like to purchase a copy of the diagram above you can find the digital version here or the hard copy here...and below is a short video showing you how I whip up a plant symbol or two. Enjoy!
11.24.2013
HOW TO DRAW A PLANT SYMBOL
As I teach you my tips and tricks about garden design, it's only appropriate to also give you the skills to carry out your creations. One of these skills is knowing how to draw plants in plan view (looking from above down towards your garden). I've included two resources for you below...an illustration showcasing a sampling of plant symbols, plus I created a short video so you can actually see the process of how I draw them.
If you'd like to purchase a copy of the diagram above you can find the digital version here or the hard copy here...and below is a short video showing you how I whip up a plant symbol or two. Enjoy!
If you're interested in more articles like this one, plus would like to receive a free copy of my theme garden eBook, please sign up for my email updates here.
If you'd like to purchase a copy of the diagram above you can find the digital version here or the hard copy here...and below is a short video showing you how I whip up a plant symbol or two. Enjoy!
11.16.2013
TOMATOES TO TOPIARY
In 2009 I began my blogging career with a goal to paint one food illustration a day for an entire year. That adventure was coined THE LUNCH BOX PROJECT. It was a thrilling joyride to create daily, learn about the ins and outs of food (since I'm not much of a cook), and become part of the welcoming food blogging community.
While I whipped up delectable dishes each night with my paint brush, I continued to work my "full-time job" at a university botanical garden as an educator, planner, and designer, then later teaching in the horticulture department. I loved both parts of my life and continued this parallel activity for four years. I even began another blog for a short time, TOPIARY & TIRAMISU, to help fulfill that need to talk about gardening.
In 2011, when I shifted to teaching landscape design full time in our university's horticulture department, I found the career of my dreams. I was now able to share my love of garden design with talented students everyday. This joy was so powerful that I wanted to start sharing my tips and tricks with gardeners outside the university too...but it was exhausting trying to keep up with both my former garden blog and my food blog. Someone suggested I combine both focuses into one blog, which worked for awhile, but my love of garden design took over.
So this week I finally made the decision to finish THE LUNCH BOX PROJECT (after all, it really is a project that has been successfully completed). I will continue to draw food as it relates to the garden (because my husband is a crazy vegetable gardener and I can't ignore that part of my life), but my new focus will mostly be garden design. Through all of this I am still an illustrator and that will never go away. I hope my illustration background and quirky way of looking at design will pop a breath of fresh air into our beautiful, manipulated, plant-filled outdoor spaces.
Thanks to those that have supported me through THE LUNCH BOX PROJECT and a big welcome to all my new readers that yearn for a new perspective on garden design.
If you're interested in more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
While I whipped up delectable dishes each night with my paint brush, I continued to work my "full-time job" at a university botanical garden as an educator, planner, and designer, then later teaching in the horticulture department. I loved both parts of my life and continued this parallel activity for four years. I even began another blog for a short time, TOPIARY & TIRAMISU, to help fulfill that need to talk about gardening.
In 2011, when I shifted to teaching landscape design full time in our university's horticulture department, I found the career of my dreams. I was now able to share my love of garden design with talented students everyday. This joy was so powerful that I wanted to start sharing my tips and tricks with gardeners outside the university too...but it was exhausting trying to keep up with both my former garden blog and my food blog. Someone suggested I combine both focuses into one blog, which worked for awhile, but my love of garden design took over.
So this week I finally made the decision to finish THE LUNCH BOX PROJECT (after all, it really is a project that has been successfully completed). I will continue to draw food as it relates to the garden (because my husband is a crazy vegetable gardener and I can't ignore that part of my life), but my new focus will mostly be garden design. Through all of this I am still an illustrator and that will never go away. I hope my illustration background and quirky way of looking at design will pop a breath of fresh air into our beautiful, manipulated, plant-filled outdoor spaces.
Thanks to those that have supported me through THE LUNCH BOX PROJECT and a big welcome to all my new readers that yearn for a new perspective on garden design.
If you're interested in more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
11.14.2013
ONLINE PLANT DATABASES
People often ask where I search out new plants for my designs. Besides books, I enjoy perusing online plant databases. These are great for narrowing down choices by picking key plant characteristics. For instance I can search for a 24" tall perennial that likes sun, has purple flowers, thrives in zone five, plus has an upright form. A great way to narrow down thousands of plants to two or three. Note that none of these are inclusive, so you'll have to use a combination of sites to find a good selection of plants.
Here are some of my favorites:
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Midwest Groundcovers Advanced Plant Search
Monrovia Plant Catalog
Perennial Resource Perennial Encyclopedia
UPDATE:
Here are some additional database suggestions via those on my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ streams:
Bluestone Perennials Plant Finder
Cal Poly Tree Selection Tool
Dave's Garden PlantFiles
Fine Gardening Plant Guide
Great Plant Picks (Pacific Northwest)
Jim Melka Plant Finder
LBJ Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Learn to Grow Plant Search
Nursery Guide (Oregon)
Online Plant Guide
Plant Lust
Rhode Island Coastal Plant Guide
Royal Horticultural Society Plant Selector
San Marcos Growers
Shoot Plant Search
UConn Plant Database
USDA Plant Finder
Waterwise Database (zones 8-11)
Waterwise Santa Barbara
The database below actually helps you ID plants. Love it!
New England Wild Flower Society Simple ID Key
This plant database is subscription-based. It has a wealth of plant information from Australia, but has spread into other parts of the world too.
PlantFile
Do you have a favorite online plant database not included above? Happy plant hunting!
If you're interested in more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
Here are some of my favorites:
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder
Midwest Groundcovers Advanced Plant Search
Monrovia Plant Catalog
Perennial Resource Perennial Encyclopedia
UPDATE:
Here are some additional database suggestions via those on my Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+ streams:
Bluestone Perennials Plant Finder
Cal Poly Tree Selection Tool
Dave's Garden PlantFiles
Fine Gardening Plant Guide
Great Plant Picks (Pacific Northwest)
Jim Melka Plant Finder
LBJ Wildflower Center Native Plant Database
Learn to Grow Plant Search
Nursery Guide (Oregon)
Online Plant Guide
Plant Lust
Rhode Island Coastal Plant Guide
Royal Horticultural Society Plant Selector
San Marcos Growers
Shoot Plant Search
UConn Plant Database
USDA Plant Finder
Waterwise Database (zones 8-11)
Waterwise Santa Barbara
The database below actually helps you ID plants. Love it!
New England Wild Flower Society Simple ID Key
This plant database is subscription-based. It has a wealth of plant information from Australia, but has spread into other parts of the world too.
PlantFile
Do you have a favorite online plant database not included above? Happy plant hunting!
If you're interested in more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
11.10.2013
DETAILS IN THE GARDEN
A couple of months ago I visited a small, yet amazing garden in central Iowa.
I learned something that day: size doesn't matter...it's all in the details.
That same day we also visited a landscape much larger than the one below. It was beautiful, but lacked the engagement. I saw everything at once, rather than enjoying the thrill of mystery.
Always think about the details of your garden, including furniture, ornamentation, architecture, paint, and sweet plantings. How can you surprise your visitor rather than just giving away all your views in one sweep?
If you'd like to explore this landscape more, here are the last two posts I wrote on the same garden:
A Dog Friendly Garden
Texture in the Garden
If you're interested in more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
I learned something that day: size doesn't matter...it's all in the details.
That same day we also visited a landscape much larger than the one below. It was beautiful, but lacked the engagement. I saw everything at once, rather than enjoying the thrill of mystery.
Always think about the details of your garden, including furniture, ornamentation, architecture, paint, and sweet plantings. How can you surprise your visitor rather than just giving away all your views in one sweep?
If you'd like to explore this landscape more, here are the last two posts I wrote on the same garden:
A Dog Friendly Garden
Texture in the Garden
If you're interested in more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
11.03.2013
DRAWING A TREE
A fun way to design a landscape is in elevation - or a straight-on view as if you were standing and looking at it (vs. a plan view that is looking down from the sky). When designing in elevation take note of how all plants have a unique form. Some are circular, oval, columnar, pyramidal, weeping or even irregular. You can read more about plant forms here.
Take a photo of your house, lay tracing paper over it, then try drawing a composition of different plant forms in front of it. Think about accentuating your entry, while also framing your house overall. Mix different forms, plus layer them (2-3 rows of plants is much more interesting than one). Click here to see an example.
Below is a simple tutorial of how to draw a tree, so you can focus on designing, rather than worrying about your drawing skills (anyone can draw a tree, really). I also have a slightly different format of this graphic tutorial available for purchase as a digital file here or a hard copy here.
If you're interested in more articles like this one, plus would like to receive a free copy of my theme garden ebook, please sign up for my email updates here.
Take a photo of your house, lay tracing paper over it, then try drawing a composition of different plant forms in front of it. Think about accentuating your entry, while also framing your house overall. Mix different forms, plus layer them (2-3 rows of plants is much more interesting than one). Click here to see an example.
Below is a simple tutorial of how to draw a tree, so you can focus on designing, rather than worrying about your drawing skills (anyone can draw a tree, really). I also have a slightly different format of this graphic tutorial available for purchase as a digital file here or a hard copy here.
10.24.2013
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHEDS
I was perusing my former garden blog and came across one of my favorite posts from 2011...a little ditty on garden sheds. Here is the post as written...
Can functional structures like sheds be beautiful too?
As we decorated ours with corn stalks a couple of weeks ago I realized how lucky we were to have such a lovely, vibrant shed in our garden. I then realized our neighborhood was filled with similar structures...some old, some new, but all stunning. They all store tools (and some even chickens), plus garden ephemera. Each one has an intriguing beauty.
Rather than build a typical shed in your yard, create a functional masterpiece that becomes an integral component of your garden.
A big thanks to all of our neighbors for letting me tromp through your yards, move around your garden tools and allowing me to flip your light switches on and off to take these photos.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
Can functional structures like sheds be beautiful too?
As we decorated ours with corn stalks a couple of weeks ago I realized how lucky we were to have such a lovely, vibrant shed in our garden. I then realized our neighborhood was filled with similar structures...some old, some new, but all stunning. They all store tools (and some even chickens), plus garden ephemera. Each one has an intriguing beauty.
Rather than build a typical shed in your yard, create a functional masterpiece that becomes an integral component of your garden.
 |
| Our fun orange garden shed designed and constructed by my husband. |
 |
| Our neighbor's garden shed and chicken coop to the east of our house. |
 |
| A shaker-like shed and beautiful worn brick a couple of houses to the north. |
 |
| The oldest and most detailed shed in our neighborhood located just to the northeast. |
10.20.2013
GARDEN SPRINKLES
For the past few days I've had the pleasure of taking a hand-lettering workshop through Skillshare with the talented Mary Kate McDevitt. We had to pick a quote, go through a series of warm-up exercises, then finally create a final hand-lettered composition. I created three, then plan to create a print with one of them. Let me know if you have a favorite.
You may wonder about the garden sprinkles. Sprinkles are those sweet details that you place throughout your garden to make it extra special. These may include art, lighting, paint, furniture, wind chimes, etc.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
You may wonder about the garden sprinkles. Sprinkles are those sweet details that you place throughout your garden to make it extra special. These may include art, lighting, paint, furniture, wind chimes, etc.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
10.13.2013
KEEP IT POSITIVE IN THE GARDEN
Let me tell you a little secret about garden design. It's important to keep your livable spaces positive.
What do I mean? Often we'll lay out beds, think about their shapes meticulously, plop them in our yard, then fill them with plants...creating a negative space for our main livable area. This main area becomes leftover space, even though it should be the main focus of our garden. The main space is often the lawn (though it could be a patio or deck too). This is very similar to rooms in your house. Each room has a strong shape with walls that reinforce it.
Try designing this way instead...
1. Identify where you would like your main lawn area.
2. Determine what shape it should be...an oval, square, circle, kidney bean, etc.
3. Keep the bed lines clean and/or in broad strokes (not a lot of small wiggles).
4. Place planting beds and plant materials to reinforce your shape (along the outer edge, not in the middle).
5. Now you have an amazing garden where you can place garden furniture, read a book, have a picnic or play a little croquet.
A couple of thoughts...though the positive garden I'm showing you above is formal, your garden does not have to be. This process works for both formal and informal gardens. Also, your lawn shapes do not have to be totally surrounded by plants. You can place them sparingly to still give the idea of a lawn shape, without totally enclosing it.
In the end, I want you to remember that garden design is about creating space. This space is formed by plants and hardscapes, but you must always remember to create the space first.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
What do I mean? Often we'll lay out beds, think about their shapes meticulously, plop them in our yard, then fill them with plants...creating a negative space for our main livable area. This main area becomes leftover space, even though it should be the main focus of our garden. The main space is often the lawn (though it could be a patio or deck too). This is very similar to rooms in your house. Each room has a strong shape with walls that reinforce it.
Try designing this way instead...1. Identify where you would like your main lawn area.
2. Determine what shape it should be...an oval, square, circle, kidney bean, etc.
3. Keep the bed lines clean and/or in broad strokes (not a lot of small wiggles).
4. Place planting beds and plant materials to reinforce your shape (along the outer edge, not in the middle).
5. Now you have an amazing garden where you can place garden furniture, read a book, have a picnic or play a little croquet.
In the end, I want you to remember that garden design is about creating space. This space is formed by plants and hardscapes, but you must always remember to create the space first.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
10.09.2013
HERB PRINT
10.06.2013
PESTO
As I've been drawing food the last few years I've become more brave in trying some classic recipes. One of these is pesto. I happened to be paging through a magazine one day and came across this recipe and was shocked with it's simplicity.
I actually had most of the ingredients tucked into my cabinets, garden and refrigerator. The missing ingredient, pine nuts, was given to me by a friend (after I traded some fresh strawberries with her). I hate to admit that even though I was growing basil in the garden, I really didn't appreciate it's lovely scent until I prepared it into pesto.
My first batch was amazing, so a few weeks later I made a larger batch, then froze it in ice cube trays. I plan to use these throughout the winter and mix them into pasta, potatoes, spaghetti sauce and whatever else needs a little extra flavor.
PESTO
Ingredients
1/2 clove of garlic
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 cups of fresh basil
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Directions
In a food processor, finely chop 1/2 clove of garlic.
Add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and grind.
Add 2 cups of basil and process with 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and process to combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
This recipe is from Whole Living Magazine. Their recipe is written in a more flexible format so you can mix in different herbs, nuts and cheese for different tastes.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
I actually had most of the ingredients tucked into my cabinets, garden and refrigerator. The missing ingredient, pine nuts, was given to me by a friend (after I traded some fresh strawberries with her). I hate to admit that even though I was growing basil in the garden, I really didn't appreciate it's lovely scent until I prepared it into pesto.
My first batch was amazing, so a few weeks later I made a larger batch, then froze it in ice cube trays. I plan to use these throughout the winter and mix them into pasta, potatoes, spaghetti sauce and whatever else needs a little extra flavor.
PESTO
Ingredients
1/2 clove of garlic
1/4 cup of pine nuts
2 cups of fresh basil
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Directions
In a food processor, finely chop 1/2 clove of garlic.
Add 1/4 cup of pine nuts and grind.
Add 2 cups of basil and process with 1/4 cup of olive oil.
Add 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and process to combine.
Season with salt and pepper.
This recipe is from Whole Living Magazine. Their recipe is written in a more flexible format so you can mix in different herbs, nuts and cheese for different tastes.
If you'd like to read more articles like this one, please sign up for my email updates here.
